Dog alerts family to fire

NAUGATUCK — A pet dog alerted a Naugatuck family to a fire early Saturday morning.

The fire occurred at 85 Miller Drive at 3:30 a.m. when a chimney mantle ignited and burned into the exterior wall, Fire Chief Ken Hanks said. The fire caused a small amount of damage, and nobody was injured.

The family did not have smoke alarms, Hanks said.

“That is the single most important safety device people can have in their homes,” he said.

Anyone who has financial difficulty in obtaining a smoke alarm can get one for free at the Naugatuck Fire Department’s headquarters at 41 Maple St., Hanks said.